Michaël R. Roskam shot the film Bullhead in Belgium, introduced it personally at KVIFF, was nominated for an Oscar for it, and can now shoot with stars in America. His first English-language feature is called The Drop and the main role of the quiet bartender in whose bar the mafia hides its money is played by Tom Hardy.
The thriller is based on a short story by Dennis Lehane, author of Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River. In contrast to the story, the film does not take place in Boston, but in Brooklyn. "Dennis came up with that himself. It made practical sense as well; in New York there were more attractive tax incentives," said Roskam in the discussion for the screening. Audience members also asked for a story from the shooting and, aside from Tom Hardy's acting abilities, the director described working with the portrayers of the bartender's puppy. "We used three dogs. And we let them act like dogs. When they went left, the actors followed them. We didn't have any big problem with them. It was more of a problem keeping the crew from wanting to pet them all the time because of how cute they were."
On the same evening Roskam also managed to introduce his favourite French film noir Rififi. Why did he choose this work by Jules Dassin from 1955 for the new section Six Close Encounters? "I've always like this movie for its dark tone. Though it's a caper film, it's also a character piece, what's more from a period when it was still possible to play with details," the director explained to the Festival Daily.
